1841-01-26
British forces landed on Hong Kong Island and claimed it in the name of the Crown following the First Opium War.
Background
During the First Opium War, British forces advanced into Chinese coastal territory. On 26 January 1841, Commodore James Bremer led a landing on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, formally taking possession in the name of Queen Victoria. This act predated the formal treaty and was a calculated military move to secure a base of operations and trading outpost.
Legacy
– Foundation of British Hong Kong – Established the location of future Victoria City – Set precedent for unequal treaties in the region
Key Moment
Perspective & Relations
Narratives
| British forces landed on Hong Kong Island and claimed it in the name of the Crown following the First Opium War. | ||
| During the First Opium War, British forces advanced into Chinese coastal territory. On 26 January 1841, Commodore James Bremer led a landing on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, formally taking possession in the name of Queen Victoria. This act predated the formal treaty and was a calculated military move to secure a base of operations and trading outpost. | ||
| 1841-01-26 – Union Jack raised at Possession Point by Commodore Bremer. | ||
| – Foundation of British Hong Kong – Established the location of future Victoria City – Set precedent for unequal treaties in the region | ||
| United Kingdom | The British framed the occupation as a necessary step to protect trade rights and punish Qing resistance during the First Opium War. | |
 | China | To the Qing government, the seizure of Hong Kong marked the beginning of a century of humiliation and loss of control over coastal zones. |
| France | France viewed Britain’s occupation as a test case for securing its own commercial footholds in East Asia. | |
 | United States | The U.S. monitored the British advance closely, leading to later treaties that secured its own extraterritorial rights in China. |